Though a country be sundered, hills and rivers endure;
And spring comes green again to trees and grasses
Where petals have been shed like tears
And lonely birds have sung their grief.
...After the war-fires of three months,
One message from home is worth a ton of gold.
...I stroke my white hair. It has grown too thin
To hold the hairpins any more.

Du Fu -A Spring View
(750 AD)

2

This Little Witch
I

s everyone
else as ready
for Springtime weather
as I am? I
appreciate winter, I even like
snow on occasion, and iceskating, but right now, I am
longing for the sun. I dream of
running out of the house in just
a short sleeved shirt, or even
a sweater. I’m tired of hunting
for my gloves and scarf. Still,
early flowers have emerged in
my garden, and every once in a
while, the sun is out enough for it
to get a little bit warm. It feels like
it’s time for the Spring 2013 issue
of Little Witch!
This issue, we have a sunny
Spring focus: Calandriel takes us
through the preparations of

a garden, Lunadea helps you
decide whether an outdoor altar
is something that could be of
value to your practice, and Linda
gives you all the inspiration you
need to go out there and enjoy
the Spring.
On top of that, we also have a
guest writer, Vernon McNew,
who shares a little about
Asatru—Norse Reconstruction—
Linda discusses the plant and
animal oracles of Carr-Gomm,
Heron Dawning has written a
beautiful portrait of Salem witch
Laurie Cabot, and I discuss the
value of the Pagan label to the
Pagan community, as well the
importance of proper depiction of
deity in this latest issue.
I hope that, after reading this
issue, you feel inspired to go
out, to get your hands dirty and
work in your garden. Clean up
everything left over from Fall and
Winter, and prepare for the new.
Spring is right around the corner,
and I welcome it with open arms.
Enjoy this beautiful season, and
meet us back here come Summer. We’ll have much more for
you to read.

In this issue:
4
5
6
8
9
10
12
14
15
18

The Goody Bag
Plant and Animal
Oracles
Examining the season
The Magic of Spring
Pagan world
The Pagan Garden
Witchy Things
The Pagan Label
Merry Meet
Laurie Cabot
The Feasts
Discussion
Etnicity of Deity
Branching out
Asatru
By the firelight
Beware the Sidhe
Practical Pagan
Outdoor Altars

Blessed be,
Elani Temperance

3

The Goodie Bag

Plant and Animal Oracles - By Linda Zoet

C

lose your
eyes and
let both
animals and
plants pass
before your mind’s eye. Which
vision of animal or plant stays
with you? What else do you see
in the environment around it? Is
there knowledge to be gleamed
from the image before you, and
does it make you think about your
situation or emotions? This is
what the plant and animal oracles
could mean for you. The oracles
will not predict the future, and
you won’t be able to plot your life
with it, so why use these cards?
Because they make you think
about your situation, and they ask
you to look at it with a different
perspective. They advice and
support.
Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm
have created two sets of oracle
cards; one focused on animals,
the other on plants. Both were
illustrated by Will Worthington,
and because of this, they can
be used separately, but can just
as easily be used together to
combine the knowledge and

4

wisdom on plants as well as
animals into one deck.
Each card shows a specific plant,
flower, or animal in its natural
environment. A description of the
plant or animal can be found in
the accompanying book. After
the description, an in-depth look
at the card follows. Interprative
descriptions are given for both
standing as reversed cards. To
round off the section, a bit about
the tradition behind the subject
follows.
Different patters are explained in the back of the
book. They can be used for
different readings. The ‘pentagram’-pattern, for example,
helps you search for wholeness, healing, integration and
spiritual development. The
pattern of Airmid’s cloak can be
used for a general reading in a
situation where it is unclear how
you should act. The various
patterns and the possibility to
combine the decks help you shed
light on a large variety of issues
that you need aid in, or give you a
fresh perspective.
As with all forms of divination,

you will sometimes be shown
messages you do not want to
see, or have been denying. Be
clear about the question you want
to have answered, and be aware
you will sometimes get an answer
to a question you hadn’t even
asked. Chances are you were
worrying about it, regardless. Try
to listen to those messages and
learn from it. You’ll be better for it
in the end.

The Druid Animal Oracle & The
Druid Plant Oracle
Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm
$10,- to $20,Available in bookstores and
esoteric stores, but also on
amazon.com

Examining the season
The Magic of Spring - By Linda Zoet

A

round us,
the earth
is slowly
awakening,
but Winter
has not relinquished its crown
in its entirety. Winter and Spring
are caught in an intricate dance
where first Winter, then Spring
take control. Swirling through
nature, they decide who is the
temporary leader. You can feel,
and see it, in everything. This is
the time of year where you can
go out in the morning and face
a snowstorm, yet come back to
sunshine and a lazy afternoon
spent in the garden, sipping
tea. It is definitely the season
of change. The sun is slowly
starting to show itself more and

the world is literally starting
to defrost. The seed that found
shelter in the cold earth, can now
find the space it needs to grow
and develop into the beautiful
plant it was destined to be.
The birds who fed themselves on
feed put out by helpful humans
have slowly started to test
their beautiful lilts. Slowly, we
become accustomed to being
awoken by singing birds, not our
alarm clocks. In the windowsills,
nurseries for young sprouts
appear, hoping to nurse the
seeds into a little more maturity
before they go into the ground.
Ducks in the pond alternate
their mode of transport from
swimming, to walking the thin
layer of ice that still appears

incidentally. Cats in the neighborhood choose a spot outside over
a spot inside to bask in the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
strengthening rays.
A cold wind still blows through the
streets, designed to drag away
the old. It creates a vacuum,
which will soon be filled with the
new green and fresh energy of
the season. In places the wind
canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reach, people, animals
and plants enjoy the surprisingly
warm sun.
This is the season to invite nature
into your home. Why not decorate your house with crocuses?
After they have bloomed, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
throw them out. Plant them in the
garden instead, this way, they
can return in the coming spring
and brighten your garden.

Activities for Spring time
Make spring rolls with a wrap
filled with salmon, cheese, lime,
and fresh herbs. Let down your

hair and put your favorite music
on. Dance until you feel the
energy return to your body.

Spring is the seasons to be active
and engaged, so enjoy every
moment of it!

5

H

aving a garden almost
seems like
a given in
the Pagan
community, but how do you start
one? As a very important first
step, your garden needs to be
prepared, this happens in Fall
and Winter. You must plan out
your garden: what will be its
purpose, what is in it now, what
would you like to keep, and what
has to go? On top of that, you
need to regard the dimension
of the space and which part(s)
of it you want to use for your
gardening project. It might be
that you only have a balcony, or
a garden that’s completely tiled
over. If that’s the case, you will be
forced to work in pots, or you will
have to take out a few tiles from
the tiled over garden,
When you start removing
plants, it’s important to know
how to remove them in a way
that’s constructive and lasting.
For annual plants, it’s enough
to pull them from the ground.
If you remove them from the
earth, they will dry out and die.

6

Plants with rootstock (thicker
roots that spread and form new
plants on the tip of them) like
stinging nettle and bishop’s weed
need to be removed completely
before the ground is used for
anything else. This means
removing all the roots as well.
A handy way to do this is to
remove everything you can find
of the plant, including the roots,
and then to let the ground settle
for a week or so. After this time,
the shoots of new plants will
have come up, and they become easier to locate. Pull them
out—root and all—and repeat if
you feel it might be necessary.
It seems like a lot of work, but
failing to remove these plants
completely before the ground it
re-purposed will mean you are
left an overabundance of weeds,
which will crowd out your desired
plants. In the long run, it will save
you a lot of time if you prepare
the ground well. If you remove
these weeds in the late summer,
or early fall, you will have a good
amount of time to see if anything
new comes up. Remember that
most weeds survive the winter

much better than the plants you
want in your garden.
Before you start sowing, its
important to look at the
location and the soil type of your
garden. Check if the spot is rich
in sunlight, and if the soil is clay
based or sand based. You will
recognize clay based soil by the
sticky lumps in the ground, and
sandy ground is often lighter, and
brittle. Mid ground (usually dark
brown, cohesive but not lumped,
full of organic material like bits
of leaves, twigs, etcetera, left
over from previous years) is the
most fertile of soil, and is rich in
nutrients.
If your garden soil contains a lot
of clay, you might want to break
the soil before winter, so the
ground can freeze and break.
While you’re breaking the soil,
you might want to introduce
sand or compost to mix the clay
and bring out a nutrients rich
soil that’s that will serve as the
perfect bed for your plants. If
you’re adding compost, do so as
early as possible, preferably right
after harvesting. The longer the
compost stays in the ground, the

Pagan World

The Pagan Garden - By Calandriel an Cuiileur

more the nutrients are absorbed
into the soil, and the more fertile
the land will become.
Adding compost to sandy ground
is also highly encouraged. Where
compost breaks up clay type
ground, and helps with water
drainage, compost mixed through
sandy ground will make it slightly
more compact, due to the organic
material that is introduced. This
will help sandy water retain
enough moisture to sustain plant
life, and the compost itself will
introduce valuable nutrients to a
nutrient-poor environment.
The third preparatory question
becomes: what to sow, and
when?
Sowing and planting is best done
after the daytime frost has gone,
and the chance of frost during the
night has lessened considerably.
Some plants are better equipped
to deal with cold (union, carrot,
spinach, etcetera), so these can
be sown from late February, or
the beginning of March—if the
frost is gone—until the end of
Fall. It’s always a possibility to
sow a few resilient species early
in the year, and to see if they

stick. If they do, you can introduce more of them. This also
ensures the plants will mature
in sequence, which is especially
helpful in the case of vegetables.
You can also raise up a few
plants indoors, and plant them
outside once they have become
a little better equipped for the outside. Not that these plants will be
used to a higher temperature, so
an unexpected bout of frost might
very well kill them. When planting
these seedlings, make sure that
the forecast is clear.
Vegetables thrive in a sunny
spot, on nutrient-rich mid soil,
and perform best if they have
been allowed to mature a little indoors. Alternatively, you can buy
young plants and plant these into
the garden directly. Examples
include lettuce, spinach, beans,
broccoli and cauliflower.
You will want to plant herbs on a
slightly sand, slightly shady, piece
of ground. Compost introduced
in the Fall will make all the
difference in Spring and Summer,
while the plant matures. Herbs
enjoy a nutrient-rich spot. A good
few herbs thrive in a shady spot,

thyme, lemon balm, tarragon,
chervil, basil, chives, dill, marjoram, parsley and fennel amongst
them.
A good guide when sowing seed
directly into the soil is to plant the
seeds at their own depth. Make a
small trench in the soil with your
finger, and measure out the depth
by the size of the seed. For a
garden variety bean, this is about
a centimeter, for union seed
about four millimeters. Place the
seeds into the trench with a little
space between them, cover up
the seed, and water it carefully
so to seed doesn’t wash away.
Because you have planted the
seeds in a row, you will be able
to spot their location easily, and
you’ll have a much easier time
removing weeds from the bed.
We hope this tutorial gives you a
foundation of knowledge to start
your own garden with, and we
wish you a great time in planting,
taking care of, and harvesting,
vegetables, fruit, and herbs. In
the next issue, we’ll continue with
the latter two, maintaining your
garden and harvesting the spoils.
Until then!

7

Witchy Things
The Pagan Label - By Elani Temperance

A

Pagan
religion is a
religion that is
not Jewish,
Christian,
or Islamic and self-identifies
as Pagan.’ It’s one of the most
wide-spread definitions of
Paganism out there, one of the
most standard, and also one
of the most general. Within the
Pagan label, it is said that the
only defining factor we have that
binds us together, is the fact that
we are are not in one of the big
faiths. In general, us Pagans feel
we define what the Pagan label
means, but the term ‘Paganism’
has been--and most likely always
was--defined not by those in
it, but by those passing judgment upon it from the outside.
Yet, the label consists out of
commonalities found within most
practitioners. For most, it is the
biggest reason to subscribe to the
label in the first place: finding a
home, a family, a group to belong
to.
Experiences of the divine vary. It
has always been that way, and it
will always be that way.

8

Especially in our current—
individualistic—society, everyone
is encouraged to walk their own
path. Part of that walk means
figuring out what the Gods mean
to you. We are a varied bunch
and some question who should
and should not be able to lay
claim to the name.
Paganism as a whole, and many
of its branches, still have a lot
of growing up to do. We are
not united. We bicker amongst
ourselves. We are not proud
of the Pagan label and most
branches fight to stand on their
own despite the label. We focus
on the individual (or Tradition),
not the community. And this is
fine; it is how Paganism was
conceived and it has naturally progressed into this state.
Yet, if we look at the big
religions—the religions that have
found a way to stay viable to
this day—they have their unity
in common. Do all the branches
under the various labels love
each other? No, not at all, but
they (in general) don’t fight the
overarching label.

While the label is fairly new,
Neo-Paganism has been around
for such an amount of time, the
term is no longer new. We’ve
come together and put the label
out there. People outside the
label might still consider us fringe,
and they might still think we’re
a little bit weird, but there is a
distinction being made by the
general population, who decide
what we are and what we do.
Religious, nature-loving, free.
Sometimes they get it right,
sometimes they don’t.
There is strength in the Pagan
label, and it is time for Pagans to
truly start defining what Paganism
means. We all identify ourselves
differently under the Pagan
label, but towards the outside,
towards the major religions, we
need it. Because if we ever want
religious rights, if we ever want to
be understood instead of feared,
if we ever want to leave our
fringe position behind, then we
need to stand behind our Pagan
name. Not because it’s accurate
but because it matters to be
heard.

Merry Meet
Laurie Cabot - By Heron Dawning

L

aurie Cabot,
the official
witch of Salem.
Born in 1933 in
the state of Oklahoma, she was
interested in her psychic gifts at
an early age. Raised Catholic she
sought answers to her questions
in Christianity first, until she met
a witch who encouraged her to
look beyond Christianity. At the
age of sixteen she was initiated
in a coven. In the late 60’s Cabot
decided to life the rest of her
life fully and openly as a witch.
She began wearing only black
robes and black eye-make-up,
in line with an, according to her,
ancient witch tradition. In 1970
the governor of Massachusetts
declared her the official witch of
Salem in appreciation of her work
with children. Cabot opened her
own store in Salem in the year
1971, started her own tradition
of witchcraft, wrote books about
the subject and later created the
Cabot Kent Hermetic Temple,
an organization that focuses
on witchcraft as a science and
practicing it for the betterment of
the world and those who live in it.

Cabot often speaks of the importance of not only reading but also
practicing often and regularly.
This helps you with the exploring
of your own path. According to
Cabot it is important to choose
a tradition. This gives you the
required guidance and structure
to help you to learn and advance.
She calls herself a Celtic and
pre-Gardnerian witch, and has
distanced herself from what she
calls ‘the new Wicca’ and more
eclectic traditions. Cabot’s tradition underlines the importance
of integrity as a witch and the
cultivation of your own personal
power. This power is important
for doing good for your environment and yourself. Witchcraft in
this tradition is seen as a religion,
path, art and as a science.
Although Cabot has a traditional
side, she also shows herself to
be quiet modern. By means of
all sorts she speaks to those

that wish to learn about witchcraft: her website, Facebook and
even Youtube. She gives online
tarot readings and her store
has become an online shop.
The flamboyant Cabot with her
distinct appearance and services for witches certainly is not
media shy. This move has been
critisized, labeling her ‘exorbitant’
and ‘attention-seeking’.
This woman just past her eightieth birthday has never let herself
be stopped by comments of this
kind and still is active for that
which she stands for. As such
she is currently in the process of creating the Cabot Kent
Hermetic Temple. Laurie Cabot
occupies herself with this
because she sees the value of
witches having their own physical place to gather. A place and
organization where witches from
all kinds of traditions can openly
be united and acknowledged.

God of wine
23: Egyptian festival of Isis,
Goddess of love and war
25: Egyptian festival of the cutting
out of Sobekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tongue
26: Egyptian festival of Anubis,
God of mummification and the
afterlife
27: Egyptian festival of Min,
Goddess of love
30: Roman festival of Salus,
Goddess of public safety and
welfare
31: Roman festival of Luna, Goddess of the moon

A

pril:
1: Veneralia,
Roman festival of Venus,
Goddess of love and beauty
1: Egyptian festival of Hathor,
Goddess of joy, feminine love,
and motherhood
2: Egyptian festival of the Ennead, maintainers of order

10

3: Egyptian festival of the counting of Thoth, God of wisdom and
learning
4: Egyptian festival of the judging
of souls by Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;at, Goddess of
order
4-10: Magalesia, Roman festival
of Magna Mater, also known as
Cybele, mother Goddess
5: Lady Luck Day, Roman festival
Fortuna, Goddess of good fortune
9: Lumeria, Roman festival of
the Lemures, the spirits of dead
family members
12: Cerealia: Roman festival of
Ceres, Goddess of harvest
14: Egyptian festival of Horus,
Osiris, and Ra, Gods of the sun,
the dead, and sun, respectively
15: Fordicidia, Roman festival of
Tellus, earth Goddess
15: Egyptian festival of Bastet
and Horus, Goddess of cats and
God of the sun, respectively
16: Delphinia: Greek festival in
honor of Apollon, God of light and
divination
16: Egyptian sacred day of Ra
19: Cerealia, Roman festival of
Ceres, Goddess of corn
21: Egyptian festival of Wadjet,
patron and protector of Lower

ay:
1: Beltaine /
Samhain
1: Celtic
festival of
Belenus, God of fire and the sun
3: Roman festival of Bona Dea,
Good Goddess
5: Thargalia, Greek festival of the
birthdays of Apollon and Artemis
5: Egyptian festival of the children
of Nut, Goddess of the sky. Her
children are: Osiris, Set, Isis,
Nephthys, and sometimes Horus
9, 11, 13: Lemuria, Roman
festival of the Lemures, those
who died violent deaths
14: Egyptian festival of Hathor
15: Egyptian festival of Bastet
and Hathor
15: Mercuralia, Roman festival of
Mercury, God of merchants and
travellers
17: Roman festival of Dea Dia,
cosmic mother
19: Celtic and Irish festival of the
Sacred Spring, on which wells
and springs are adorned with
flowers and greenery in honor of
the Goddess Brigid, Goddess of
fire and blacksmithing
28: Bendideia, Greek festival

in honor of Thracian Goddess
Bendis
29: Ambarvalia, Roman festival to
the agricultural deities
30: Egyptian festival of Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;at,
Goddess of cosmic order

n the Pagan
world, there
is a subconscious desire
to depict any
Deity we--especially Caucasian
people--identify with, as white,
or at least as light as possible
whenever we envision them as
resembling humans. Most images
of Goddesses depict the Goddess at hand as white, thin, with
long, flowing hair, and wearing
an equally flowing dress; even
when the Goddess in question
is most likely not white, thin, with
long, flowing hair, and wearing an
equally flowing dress.
There are entire studies on
perception influencing self-image,
done with children of different
ethnicities. Often times, children
of any ethnicity will pick the white
doll over the colored doll, and
draw themselves one or a few
shades lighter than their actual
skin color. This goes back to
research done by psychologists
Kenneth and Mamie Clark from
1939 to 1950. This reaction is
a result of ‘whitewashing’, a
process, result or act when a

12

person who is considered a
minority adopts a lifestyle
(including speech, mannerisms,
clothing, etc.) that is attributed
secludedly to those of European descent, white people. It
also refers to the entertainment
industry’s attempt at making
ethnic characters more
appealing to the white,
money-spending masses by
making exotic characters less
ethnic and more ‘white’.
Research shows that children as
young as three or four years old
can and will discriminate based
on skin color. Around ten years
old--when peer pressure sets
in--children will (re)define their
ideas about racism and people of
other ethnicities. While never set
in stone, it’s hard to change these
thought patterns after that time.
Human perception is colored by
the color of our skin. It’s not odd
we want to paint everything with
the racial brush we were handed
at birth, yet it’s not something
that should be encourage. As the
majority of Pagans are
Caucasian, that means that
most Gods and Goddesses

are, indeed, being depicted as
Caucasian as well. Yet, a lot of
the Gods are not Caucasian; the
Greek Gods, for example, aren’t
white, Their skin is a beautiful olive hue. Like the modern
inhabitants of Greece, They
have strong, full, hair (black or
dark brown unless otherwise
specified), thick eyebrows and
a characteristically strong nose.
The women are thin and finely
shaped, the men muscular and
proud, not because that’s the
current vision of beauty, but
because it was so in ancient
Greece.
While it’s perfectly understandable for a Goddess like Brigid or
a God like Thor to be depicted
as white, the Kemetic Gods--like
Isis, Set and Osiris--are most
certainly colored (if they
represent as humans at all).
Deities like the African Asa,
Imana, and Juok are most likely
about as dark as They come, just
like Asian deities will look Asian
(with different traits depending on
their home ground). The list goes
on (see the box to the side of the
next page for a skin color index).

Discussion

Etnicity of Deity

The ethnicity of the Gods matters. It tells us something about
Them, it helps us to relate with
Them, and helps us establish
contact. Even if you’re not a
Reconstructionist, social structures still apparent in the modern
society these ancient deities were
worshipped in, tells you
something about the culture
in the time when the worship
of these Deities was widespread. Also, whitewashing is
incredibly disrespectful to
humans, let alone Deities. There
is so much beauty in ethnic
differences, and it would be a
shame to throw that away over
comfort levels, fear or ignorance.
It’s a simple reminder of the
beauty of diversity. Keep it
in mind the next time you go
through Google’s image database
in search of images representing Deity and all you come up
with is thin, white, women in
flowing dresses, showing too
much cleavage, and young,
white, men. Perhaps you will look
a little harder to find images that
ring a little closer to Their home,
not yours.

xplaining
modern
Asatru without offending
someone is
not an easy task. The problems
arise, mostly, because Asatru is
a recon religion (meaning that
it has been reconstructed.) In
the case of Asatru, there really
is not a lot to go on. The native
practitioners left us very little
written material, what we have
was written by Christian observers, and may or may not show
a bias. The practice of modern
Asatru runs the gambit from
all out reenactment, to NeoPaganism with an Asatru flavor.
For this article, the discussion will
be confined to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;reconâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; segment, but even at that, there are
disagreements amongst modern practitioners. In its simplest
form, Asatru is the worship of the
ancient Gods of Northern Europe.
Yet the practice of Asatru goes
far beyond rites and ceremonies,
it is an all-encompassing lifestyle.
The Gods of Asatru do not
generally meddle in the affairs of
men, unless it fits their grander

14

plans. The Gods might be
convinced to interfere, but only in
times of great need. Most of the
legends show us pictures of Gods
and Goddesses who have their
own lives, their own struggles,
and their own problems. They are
dealing with things on a cosmic
level, rather than dealing with
individual humans. That is not to
say that supernatural beings do
not routinely deal with people.
In the Norse form of the religion,
we see many lesser beings that
inhabit the earth, and possess
powers outside the reach of mortals. These beings are not Gods,
but rather wights. Wights can and
often do interact with mortals. If
a boon is granted to a mortal, a
Wight usually grants it.
Another important aspect of
Asatru is reverence of the
Ancestors. The term ancestors
refers to not only an individuals
ancestors, but also to distant
tribal ancestors. The ancestors
are seen as being either with
the Gods and Goddesses or as
having passed on to Hel. In Hel,
life goes on pretty much as it did
on earth. Therefore, it is a far

different concept from the
Christian version. The Ancestors are accessible to us, and
able to pass things on to the
Gods. There is a strong sense
of connection, and of family ties
throughout Asatru.
Asatru has its own moral code.
These are not commandments,
but virtues that are held in high
esteem. There are nine, and
there are called the Nine Noble
Virtues: courage, truth, honor,
fidelity, discipline, hospitality,
industriousness, self reliance,
and perseverance.
Asatru is lived, not so much
practiced. There are rites held
throughout the year, but for
most of us, the day-to-day
effort to honor the Gods and the
Ancestors through our lives holds
a higher importance. It is how we
live and how we die, that determines our afterlife. Honor built
here will still be ours in Hel.
Vernon operates a semi-selfsufficient farm, and has been
a practitioner of Asatru for 10
years. He can be reached at:
vernon@themcnews.us

By the firelight
Beware the Sidhe - By Ragnild

S

pring is
about to
begin, but
still the
bitter cold
of winter lingers and frost still
covers the land like a blanket each morning. The snow
has gone and people begin to
travel again and there are those
that take advantage of this.
However, they are not human
like you or I, my child, oh no, they
most certainly are not.” The fire
flickered across the old man’s
face, showing the craggy lines
and scars that littered it, serving
only to enhance the grim look
that was set there. Children and
adults alike crowded around old
Bear as he looked grimly into
the distance, before he turned
his gaze back onto the fire and
spoke again: “Those that I speak
of are not like you and I; they are
Otherworldly. They live under the
mountains and hills, hide in trees
and streams, rivers and lakes,
they guard over clearings, fields
and forests and are considered
to be kin to the fairer folk. They
may be seelie or unseelie, but

each and every single one of
them will not miss the opportunity
to cause mischief when he or
she can manage it.” Bear shook
his head a little sadly at this. The
faerie folk were often vain, callous and cruel where they could
also be noble, kind hearted and
generous, but he had never
encountered any Fae that did him
any good.
The fire crackled loudly then,
startling a few of the smaller
children but they giggled once
they got over the scare. One of
the older children shushed them
quickly, wanting to hear more of
the old Bear’s tale. “On nights
such as these foolish travellers,
especially those that are not from
these lands, find themselves on
the road with too few supplies
and clothing that is too thin.
They will try and seek shelter
but so very often they will be
lead away, never to be seen or
heard from again.” He had never
quite given all the details of this
particular story, but tonight he
felt that it was time that he did.
He had not always been an only
child; there was a time when he

had had a sister. “I wish to tell
you of such a night, much like
this one, in which a foreigner
wanders the night in search of
something, or someone. Before I
reach that night however, I must
tell you about a young woman.
She was very beautiful with long
dark hair and eyes bluer than the
sky on a bright summer’s day.
Her name was Duana and she
was my sister. Duana was an
adventurous girl, and when our
elders told her she must be wed,
she did not stay; instead she took
off in the middle of the night one
summer, only to come back with
child and a strong, handsome
husband in tow. The elders were
not impressed, but Duana did not
care. Together with her husband,
Lúd, she built up a good life, a
prosperous life.” Those around
the fire that had not seen as
many moons as Bear had were
surprised at this, but those that
were close to his age only looked
sad; they all remembered Duana.
“Duana gave birth to a baby boy
and it was healthy as can be,
the youngling became ill within
its first moon. It had been winter

15

when Duana had given birth,
but the snow was melting and
spring was near, much as it is
now. When we all thought the
worst would happen to Duana’s
baby boy, an old crone passed
through the village. She told us
she was a wise woman and that
she had helped many a babe in
her day. Duana and Lúd were
desperate; they had seen every
wise woman, healer and druid in
the area as their son got sicker,
but none could help. They would
accept the wise woman’s council
and help in exchange for a thing
Duana held closest to her heart.”
Bear looked the group over that
had amassed near the fire and
saw that they were all listening
with rapt attention.
“Now, some of you might have

16

noticed that I said ‘something’,
and if Duana or Lúd had paid
better attention they would know
exactly what it was that would
be taken.” There was a murmur
amongst the crowd as they speculated on what could be taken
and the old man coughed politely
to regain everyone’s attention,
the fire now having died down a
little and it flickered merrily and
more gently.
“The old woman, whose name
she had said was Brenna,
crushed some herbs and made
a particularly fragrant tea with
it. She let the babe drink some
of it and told the couple to keep
feeding it to the child, by a few
spoons a day, until the cup she
had used was entirely empty.
With that advice Brenna left, but
on the day the child had been
fed its last spoon, she returned.
Duana and Lúd were
overjoyed; their son was
cured and they could
be a happy
family
finally.

Of course their happiness could
not last. What was closest to
Duana’s heart, other than the
newborn, was Lúd, her strong
husband who loved her with all
his heart. Duana fought with the
old woman, she could not give
her husband away after all, but
the old woman was adamant. If
Lúd did not come, the babe would
die and it was in that moment that
Lúd realized that they had made
a deal with one of the faerie folk.
In their desperation they had
invited her into their home, and
now they had to abide by her
rules because of the deal they
had made. Lúd told Duana that it
was alright; he would always be
with her because their son was
still alive but Duana could not
cope with it. Lúd, heavy hearted,
did leave however, not willing to
give up the life of their son.” Bear
shook his head sadly again. He
had not spoken of his sister in
years, but now the words came
tumbling from his lips. Even
though it hurt, telling the truth felt
freeing.
“Duana was heartbroken, but
she had to stay strong for her

By the firelight
son and she did, for a few years.
She missed Lúd every single day
with her whole heart, but she
was a good mother to the boy,
who grew up far stronger than he
had been as a babe. Ever since
he was a little boy he had been
fascinated by the forest and the
hills that lay beyond. I am quite
certain that most of you have
played in these hills, children.
You have climbed those very
trees that fascinated little Connor
so when he was younger.” He
was older than most of those in
the village, and so this was a new
tale to many of them and almost
all of them had seen Bear stare
at particular trees with an almost
fond smile on his face at times.
His thoughts were all but fond
tonight however, as sadness and
relief warred within him.
“It was on a beautiful spring
night when voices called out to
Connor. He had seen about
fourteen summers then. The lad
said it was as though a siren’s
song called out to him, but of
course there were no siren there.
No, all that could be found was
the desire left within the boy from

when he had been cured as a
babe by faerie magic. He kissed
his mother on the cheek and
she wept, telling him not to go in
search of the voices, but the stubborn young man did not listen.
The hills called out to him and so
he would go.” He sighed, closing
his eyes for just a moment.
“I remember Duana coming
looking for me then. We
searched but Connor had already
disappeared, never to return.
It broke my sister’s heart and
she passed away not but a
season’s change later. Now all
that reminds us are the sounds
of Connor’s laughter that can
occasionally be heard when
you least expect it on those
bright spring days.” A sad but
respectful silence hung over the
audience when Bear stopped
speaking. Many of them had
indeed heard the laughter on
those beautiful days, and many
of them likely would hear that
laughter again, now knowing
whose happiness it was that
could be heard and what had
transpired that had come at such
a high cost.

veryone
who has
ever been to
Glastonbury
knows that
Glastonbury is full of tiny outdoor
offering spaces. These altars
often come to be spontaneously,
focusing on special places. It’s a
way of honoring the energy of the
place, whether these are landwrights, guardians of the place, or
Gods and Goddesses. You make
an altar for worship, and as such,
it is a place of refuge.
Usually, practitioners create an
altar indoors, but an outside altar
is just as much of a possibility.
Within certain religions—new as
well as old—an outdoor shrine
is even the preferred means of
worship of the Gods, landwrights,
and other guardians.
If you have a garden at your
disposal, you can choose to—in
addition to your indoor altar, or
as a replacement of it—make
a (permanent) outdoor altar.
Within a large number of Pagan
Traditions, the garden is viewed
as a place full of magick, a place
where nature is close, and the

18

energy of nature spirits is palpable. If you can’t or don’t want
to make an altar in your yard,
there is always the possibility of
creating one in a nearby park or
other outdoor location where you
can return to whenever you feel
like it.
Your outdoor altar can be just
a beautiful place between the
plants, but you can also turn it
into a more traditional altar by
decorating a (stone) garden
bench, by stacking stones into
the shape of an altar, of you
can use a tree trunk, or a hole
in an already available tree.
Alternatively, you can also put
your altar supplies at the foot of
a large tree and use the created
space for your rituals.
Within many Traditions,
it’s possible to simply do
whatever you want with your
outdoor altar. Other Traditions
have very clear guidelines on
how to create an outdoor altar;
Reconstruction religions, for
example, where outdoor
worship is encouraged as the
sacrifices can rise up to the Gods
directly.

In Glastonbury and other
magickal spots, outdoor
altars come into being simply by
hanging ribbons, wind chimes
or amulets from nearby trees.
In Glastonbury, flat stones with
tee-lights and incense cones,
and tree-holes filled with chalices,
gemstones, incense, candles,
statues, ribbons and coins, all
serve as altars. If you take this
route, do mind the environment,
and animal safety!
While you’re setting up your
garden, this might be the perfect
time to locate a beautiful spot for
an outdoor altar. When you’re
setting up your altar, keep not
only your Tradition in mind, but
also the weather. Setting up
an altar is not just a matter of
placing shiny objects on a flat
surface; you’re working outside,
so you might want to find a
place that offers some
protection from rain
and wind. Sun is also a
notorious melter of candles.
Whatever you do, make it your
own spot. You will surely find
the outdoor shrine a great
contribution to your practice.

Next in LWM
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Little Witch magazine was launched in
November 2010 as an initiative to bring
a personal and universally Neopagan
magazine to Neopagans and those
interested in the Neopagan paths in
both the Dutch and English language.
Little Witch magazine intends to be a
grounded, modern take on a life with
Neopaganism and hopes to inspire and
enlighten.
Feel free to contact us with any questions, tips, remarks, or to just let us
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W

e, at Little
Witch,
hope the
magazine
kick-starts
the Spring season. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time, after
all. As always, we would love to
hear from you about this magazine, and about the magazines
to come. What did you think of
this issue? Would you like to see
something specific in the next
issue? If so, let us know at one of
the contact points to the left.
For the next issue, we will have

a Japanese myth to spice things
up, and Calandriel will continue
her series on creating a beautiful and fruitful garden right in
your backyard. We talk about the
summer season, and about the
summer festivals.
Go out these months, and enjoy
the season. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a fantastically inspired one. If you want to
start something new, this is most
certainly the time to do it. Good
luck with your endeavors, and
we will see you again in three
months!